T1 W8 Newsletter 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parents, Carers, Staff and Students,

Sharing Compassion

One of the greatest joys in life is sharing passion with another – think about it.  Now when you thought about it, you thought about people very close to you - spouse, partner, children, very best friend.  But when you consider the words we use in English for sharing passion – ‘compassion’ (Latin background), ‘empathy’ (Greek background), we see that the relationships in which we show these feelings reach a far wider group of people – even people we have never met.  Compassion and empathy stretch our minds and hearts and school us into making friends with many people in a variety of ways.

During Lent, Australian Catholics support ‘Project Compassion’; this is the fundraising drive of Caritas, the international relief, development and social service agency.  Throughout Lent, your children will hear about the people helped by the projects of Caritas.  As they hear they will be invited to help these people, not only through fundraising but also through prayer and interest.  For you, as parents and carers, it is an opportunity to widen the horizons of their hearts and minds, to teach them to care for people beyond their own circle.

That's a beautiful sentiment!  Encouraging children to care for others beyond their immediate circle can truly broaden their perspectives and foster empathy and diversity.  As parents and carers, you have a unique opportunity to shape their understanding of the world and instil kindness and compassion – two of our school’s virtues.

How do you plan to introduce these concepts to your children or those in your care?  I’d love to hear from you.

Loving God, we are each and all your children.  Give us the wide deep love of your holy Spirit that we may recognise all people as brothers and sisters in Jesus.  May we share in his compassionate heart. 

We ask this in his name confident that you will hear us.  Amen.

Principal's Messages

Uniform Expectations  |  At St Anne’s we are committed to providing a positive and productive learning environment for all our students.  As part of this commitment, we emphasize the importance of wearing the correct school uniform.

Wearing the correct uniform is not only a matter of school policy but also a reflection of our school's values and standards.  It fosters a sense of belonging and pride among students, and it helps to create an atmosphere conducive to learning and respect.

We ask for your support in ensuring that your child adheres to the school's uniform expectations.  This includes wearing the appropriate attire as specified in our guidelines, which has been communicated this year.   Additionally, we would like to remind you that students should not wear supporters' shirts in place of sports shirts.

Following our uniform procedures is vital to the smooth running of our school.  It minimizes distractions, promotes equality, and allows our students to focus on their education.  We appreciate your cooperation in this matter and your ongoing support of our school's efforts to maintain a high standard of excellence.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

WEEK 8  |  We hope you are finding our weekly notices useful.

RUN CLUB  |  This commenced last week and we really appreciate the attendance of students and extra adult help.  This is open to year 1 students and above.

HARMONY DAY  |  This coming Friday we celebrate Harmony Day, a day which recognises Australia's cultural diversity. This day offers us all a chance to reflect on how all Australians belong to our country. Students may wear an item of orange with their school uniform; it is important to note that this is not a free dress day. It is not compulsory that students wear orange. Inspired and motivated by the story of the Good Samaritan, we pray our students embrace inclusivity and diversity and offer help whenever possible.

SCHOOL STUDENT BROADBAND INITIATIVE  |  To provide education opportunities for families that have limited internet access at home, the Australian Government is providing free National Broadband Network (NBN) services for eligible families. This is called the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI).

Families can self-nominate until the end of April 2025 to receive a free service, and they will receive this free service until 30 June 2028. This is a wonderful opportunity for families that may have limited capacity to have home internet.

There are eligibility criteria for the initiative. To be eligible, a family must:

• Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school.
• Have no active broadband service over the NBN, and not had an active service in the past 14 days.
• Live in a premise that can access a standard NBN service.

Anglicare Victoria operate the National Referral Centre on behalf of the initiative, and families can check their eligibility by contacting the centre. If eligible, families will be provided further information and a voucher which can be used with participating Internet Service Providers (ISP) who will then arrange the NBN connection:

• Phoning the SSBI National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610; or
• Visiting the SSBI Referral Centre website at https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet and completing an Enquiry form online.

Attached is an information sheet, and answers to common questions are listed here. 

POSITIVE IMPACT  |  The Young Voices Award, hosted annually by Australian Catholics in partnership with Australian Catholic University, encourages young people to use their voices to make a positive impact.

This year’s theme, "Voices of Hope," aligns with the Jubilee theme "Pilgrims of Hope," inviting participants to share stories of people, places, and communities that embody hope. Previous themes have included "Do Good, Be Good, Spread the Good News," "Climate for Change," and "Media for Good."

The competition is open to students in Years 5 to 12, divided into three sections:

• Junior (Years 5-6)
• Intermediate (Years 7-9)
• Senior (Years 10-12)

Entries can be submitted in one of three categories:

• Writing – Engaging storytelling or arguments that captivate readers.
• Photography – Powerful images that shape perspectives on key issues.
• Digital – Podcasts or videos that inspire and influence audiences.

A selection of outstanding entries from each category will be featured in an upcoming edition of Australian Catholics Magazine.

LENTEN CHALLENGE  |  This Lent, Pope Francis invites us to fast in a new way – by filling our lives with acts of love, gratitude and kindness.  We would love all families to try these simple things and give us some feedback as to how it impacted your family.

Prep Enrolments Now Being Taken For 2026

ENROLMENTS 2026  |  Prep enrolment details for 2026 are NOW required from our existing families.  If you have a child due to commence Prep next year - born between July 1 2020 and June 30 2021 – you are asked to complete an ONLINE enrolment form available from the school website by the end of the holidays.  It is essential that we have our current families accounted for, so as to determine how many positions may be offered to new families seeking enrolment.  If you have any queries or concerns with regards to this process, please contact the office.  ALL ENROLMENTS MUST BE COMPLETED ONLINE.  Once enrolment applications have been received and processed by our Administration staff, you will be notified of an interview time towards the end of next term.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND GOALS FOR 2025

St Anne's Centenary Week 2025

Student Protection News

Across The Curriculum

Student-Parent-Teacher Interviews

Welcome Term One interviews! This is a great time to check in with your child’s classroom teacher regarding their progress and any questions/concerns you may have. Parents and caregivers play an important role in their child’s success. Questions you may wish to ask the classroom teacher during interviews are:

• What is my child learning?
• How is he or she doing?
• How can he or she improve?
• What support can I provide, and can you provide if he or she is struggling? When we check in again?

Questions you may wish to ask your child are:

• What did you learn today?
• How did you do?
• What did you do if you didn’t understand?
• How can you improve on your learning?
• What are you most proud of?
• What went well today?

Thank you for your ongoing support in your child's learning.

NAPLAN

A big congratulations to our Year 3 and 5 students! Your dedication and hard work during the recent NAPAN testing period has been truly commendable. We've been impressed by your consistently positive attitudes and your willingness to "give things a go," even when faced with challenging tasks. We are proud of each and every one of you.

Religious Life of the School

From the Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Ms Georgia Moloney

Lent

This Lent, we’re invited to Unite Against Poverty with Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion. This year is especially significant as we celebrate the Jubilee Year - a time of renewal and solidarity.

Project Compassion 2025 shares three stories from around the world. We’ll meet Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) a young student from Samoa who faced severe water shortages at her school. Thanks to Caritas Australia and the generosity of supporters like you, her school now has a 10,000 L water tank improving hygiene and allowing the teachers to prioritise education.

We’ll get to know Lam from Vietnam, born with short stature, Lam faced social exclusion and limited employment opportunities – through the I-SHINE program, Lam is now a freelance graphic designer.

And we’ll meet Irene from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who faced immense challenges after losing her father to war and raising her children in poverty. With support from Caritas Australia, Irene received vocational training in sewing and farming and can now support her whole family.

Watch our Introduction to Project Compassion film HERE - be inspired by 3 powerful stories of resilience and strength, and learn the impact that your support can have on vulnerable communities around the world. 

                                                                    Please donate today.

You can support Project Compassion 2025 through the donation boxes that students brought home from school and return donations back to school. Thank you for standing with us, as we Unite Against Poverty this Lent. 

Project Compassion Fundraising Update

Thanks to our wonderful school community, we have raised over $300 for Project Compassion through our Pancake Stall on Shrove Tuesday and our Slushie Stall last week! A special thank you to our Year 6 students for their hard work in helping with these stalls.

Don't forget—our Mid-Week Meal Deals continue for the next two weeks! Place your orders at the office, with payment available by cash or card. Let's keep the momentum going for a great cause!

Easter Raffle Donations – Supporting Project Compassion

We are still accepting Easter raffle donations until the end of this week! Your generous contributions will help us create amazing prize hampers while raising funds for Project Compassion.

🎟 Raffle ticket sales begin next week – stay tuned for more details!

If you would like to donate or need more information, please contact Ms. Moloney. Thank you for your support!

Finance News

School Fees  |  Term 1 fees are now overdue. If you do not already have a payment plan in place and have not paid in full please contact our Finance Office, Sandra Adams, to discuss options.  

Important Information regarding how School fee payments show on the Parent Orbit App  |  With the introduction of the new Parent Orbit App, parents are now able to easily see where they are up to with their school fee payments. However, an important thing to note is that any payments that have been made in the past 2 weeks may not show in the App, as they need to be processed to your account after the payment is received and this is done in bulk every week or two. If it is longer than 2 weeks since you have made a payment and it is still not showing on the Orbit App, please contact the Finance Officer, Sandra Adams, for it to be looked into. Sorry for any confusion this has caused.  

Sports News

SPORTING NOMINATIONS

Welcome to an exciting year of sport in 2025! For years 4 - 6 students, there are a number of Mackay District and Capricornian sporting events coming up.

If you haven't already, please follow the Mackay District School Sport (MDSS) Facebook page. This page has the most up to date information and any changes . 

The MDSS school sporting calendar is available via Facebook, or a condensed Primary version is listed below. These trials often have a short turnaround time, so please check our Facebook page, newsletter and the orbit app for information. If your child is interested in trialling for representative sport, please follow the communication and organise their paperwork promptly to ensure they don’t miss out. 

How to nominate for MDSS:

• Collect a permission booklet from either Kathy or Sandra at the office.
• Complete the permission booklet IN FULL, including all consent and parent/guardian signatures.
• Return to the office to be signed by the school and make payment to the office.
• Student will be advised when their booklet is ready to collect from the office.
• This booklet must be taken to the trial. 

SAVE THE DATE - SARINA DISTRICT TRIALS

Dear Families - the successful runners from our St Anne's Cross Country will attend Sarina District Cross Country Trials on Wednesday the 26th of March (Week 9). Your child will receive paperwork after the St Anne's Cross Country (Thursday) if they have been selected for this Sarina District Trial. 

Mercy Awards

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 6  |  Jasmine M, Ivy L, Maia A, Ellie F, Lainey C, Matilda D, Freya S, Brayden G, Bentley B, Henry C, Sonny T, Harper O, Aliya R, Millie T, Hadley W, Zahliah C, Nevaeh W, Khloe S, Brooklyn K, Gracie H, Julianna D

Congratulations To Our Mercy Award Recipients Week 7  |  Emma N, Olivia P, Grace S, Zoe W, Gracie D, Mia S, Ryan K, Amelia T, Hunter C, Jasper H, Scout M, Grace M, Mia K, Payton H, Amelia S, Zan'eisha M

SWAP IT

SWAP IT  |  Try something new this week for your children.  For more everyday lunchbox ideas, visit: www.swapit.net.au/ideas

General Information

Parent Orbit App Setup Guide

Community News